My target is to adapt to English football and to learn the way of the team – these are the most important things

Pavel ­Pogrebnyak

The Russian has been a sensation since arriving on loan from VFB Stuttgart, scoring five goals in his first three games.

Jol hopes to unleash the raw-boned 6ft 3ins ­international (below) against Manchester United tomorrow night, knowing that another goal spree would make it even harder to sign him.

“Every game, every goal does make it harder,” said Jol, knowing Aston Villa want to open talks in the summer.

“I hope my record of turning players into stars will help,” he added. “Pavel is a nice person but every time he does something, more people now become aware.

“I want to try to sweet talk him into staying here, I hope he also knows what I can achieve with players like him.

“He’s had seven clubs and is the type of person who needs confidence and a chance to prove himself. He will get it here.”

Jol added: “I wouldn’t like to play against him but he is really fair. He is not an Andy Gray – full of elbows and hard bits. I still carry a scar from one of his tackles.

“I signed Dimitar Berbatov when at Spurs but he was already a star. I also signed Michael Carrick and Aaron Lennon but they were up-and-coming stars.

“Pavel was a bad guy, few wanted him but I saw something when I managed in Germany. I want him here but I am also aware of things going around, others watching, even agents talking.”

Meanwhile, Jol knows the game at United will not be easy, saying: “You think they are struggling but then they go and produce top-quality results. I am still not sure which Manchester club will win the title.”

Jol, once approached by Sir Alex Ferguson to be his No.2 after he was sacked by Spurs, added: “When I was at Ajax, players came and went because the club needed the money.

“Here it is totally different. At a club like Fulham you buy sensibly, back your judgement and hope that you can keep your players. I don’t think I am wrong about Pavel.”

Pogrebnyak, nicknamed ‘The Cellar’ by his former team- mates and ‘Pog the Great’ by fellow Russian Andry Arshavin, said: “I’m only here for six months and after that the club and I will decide what happens.

“My target is to adapt to English football and to learn the way of the team – these are the most important things.”

The giant hitman, who was close to joining Blackburn Rovers three years ago, added: “Right now I am only thinking about the present and the next game that comes.

“It was an easy decision to come to Fulham as there had been interest in me in the past. I was aware of Fulham as a club and had followed their progress.”